Improvement in corn-planters



L MORRIS.

Corn-Planter. No. 28,891. 1 Patented June 26 1860 Inventor:

PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI MORRIS, OF WOODBURY, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN, CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 28,891, dated June 26, 1860.

To all whom it may concern Figure 1 is a perspective view of said .ma-

chine, and Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.

In order that others skilled in the art may make and use my invention, I will proceed and state the manner of its construction and its principle of operation.

' It consists of a main frame about two and one-half feet wide and about four feet long. It is made of pieces of plank or timber of about two inches thick by about three inches wide, firmly fastened .or mortised together.

A A represent the front and rear pieces; B B, the side pieces; and Q 0 represent two intermediate pieces between B and B.

The main frame is supported on two wheels of sixteen inches in diameter, which are firmly fastened on their axle, on either end of it, outside of the main frame, so that with the revolution of the wheels the axle D will also revolve. The axle is firmly held to its position by brackets screwed to the lower side of the piecesB B. The frame has also apair of shafts to which to attach a horse to propel the machine, (marked f f.)

To the pieces B B of the main frame, just behind the periphery of the wheels, are mortised studs of similar material, of about ten inches high, from the top of whichis swung the roller G, which receives the power to operate the corn-planting mechanism as is hereinafter set forth. N

The foregoing parts are represented in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The corn-planting mechanism consists of a box, in which the corn to be planted is placed, in the shape of an ordinary millers hopper, except that the front and rear sides of it occupy avertical position in respectto the main frame; and it is placed on a line crosswise of the main frame, just in rear of the studs before mentioned, and which are marked F. Said box is marked H, and it is rested on a broad base, which is fastened to the pieces C0 of the main frame, and which is marked I, of the levers J J which are made of any hard wood, of three inches in width and about an inch and a half thick and about four feet six inches long. These levers are fastened to the roller G, with their edge upward, by screw-bolts through awooden cap, or by any other suitable device, and about two inches apart. These levers are made to oscillate on the roller by means of a pitman attached to a double crank, of. about three inches in length, on the axle D, which pitman has its axis between the levers before mentioned, by a bolt passing through them and it, and on which it plays freely at about twelve inches in front of their point of oscillation. The pitman is represented in Drawing No. 1, and is marked K, and the double crank is represented in the same dn wing by the letter L.

Near the front ends of the levers J J, and be tween them, is a hoe-handle, (marked M,) and a hoe-represented as fastened to its lower extremity. It is secured to its position by ametallic clasp passing over the levers J and J, with the top partof it in front and the rear part of it in rear of the hoe-handle. The hoe. handle is made of any strong light wood, of two inches thick, to fill the space between the levers. The depth of the excavation in which to drop the corn is regulated by means of a screw which passes through the side of the clasp before mentioned, and through one of the levers and against the side of the hoe-handle, which admits of the regulation of the depth to which the front hoe shall be forced. The front hoe is made tapering toward the point. There is a hoe-handle at the rear end of the levers, (marked N,) with a hoe, represented as nearly square, fastened to its lower extremity. It is fastened to the levers in manner represented as to hoe-handle M, and the depth to which it shall cut is regulated in asimilar manner. The clasps, with the screws in them, are represent ed in Fig. 1 by letters 0 O. A slide of about two inches in width passes through the bottom of box H on the base I. It projects in front and rear of said box, and is made to pass freely out and in, for a part of its length, in the op eration of the machine. It has a square or round hole through it of such size as to admit of receiving the desired number of grains of corn, and is marked I. It is made to play out and in by a rod, (marked R,) which passes into the roller G, in which it is made fast, and

' the movement of the rod R, deposits the required number of grains of corn in the excavation made by the hoe on the handle marked.

M, and also covers them by the hoe on the rear handle, (marked N.) This process is secured in such order and succession as, from my 'eX- perience with one I made and used in my p1anting this year, enables me to say that it does its work well and properly.

, It is obvious that by increasing or diminishing the diameter of the wheels the distance apart of the hills and rows may be regulated; and it is also obvious that by making the main frame wider other sets of my corn-planting mechanism maybe used, to the number of two or more, without departing from the principle of my invention.

Having thus stated my improvement, what I claim therein as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the double crank L with the pitman K, the rod R, the slide I, the levers J J, the hoes and handles M and N, and the mechanism connecting and regulating them, for the purpose and substantially as described.

In testimony of which invention I have here unto set my hand.

LEVI MORRIS.

\Vitnesses:

O. S. X. PEOK, Emu. F. BROWN. 

